Ascaris lumbricoides

8.8

A worm that lives in people's intestines and causes disease

noun
/ˈæskərɪs lʌmˈbraɪkɔɪdz/

Specialized

: Ascaris lumbricoides

Doctors diagnosed the patient with ascariasis after finding Ascaris lumbricoides eggs in the stool sample.

Examples

In regions with poor sanitation, Ascaris lumbricoides is a common cause of intestinal infections.
Pigs can also serve as hosts for Ascaris lumbricoides, making farm hygiene important.
The Ascaris lumbricoides is a common intestinal parasite.
Can Ascaris lumbricoides be treated effectively?
Doctors diagnosed the patient with ascariasis after finding Ascaris lumbricoides eggs in the stool sample.
In regions with poor sanitation, Ascaris lumbricoides is a common cause of intestinal infections.
Pigs can also serve as hosts for Ascaris lumbricoides, making farm hygiene important.

Synonyms

common roundworm

vsAscaris lumbricoides

Specialized

4.5

A worm that lives in human and pig intestines and makes them sick

is the precise scientific name rather than the common label

Surface Forms

Ascaris lumbricoides singular

Ascaris lumbricoides plural

Morphology

Ascaris + lumbricoides

This is a scientific Latin binomial (taxonomic) name rather than a compositional English phrase; knowing the English word 'Ascaris' (a parasitic roundworm) does not let a B1 learner infer the specific species sense because 'lumbricoides' is a Latin morphological element not transparent to learners. Taxonomic names are lexicalized technical labels and do not follow everyday compositional rules, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts for typical learners.

Etymology

Ascaris lumbricoides comes from old words that mean 'worm' and 'earthworm-like'. The part Ascaris was a word for an intestinal 'worm' and lumbricoides means 'like an earthworm', so the name makes a clear image of a long, earthworm-like creature living in the intestines, which is what this type of worm is.